There is almost no reality-based standard by which clothing is sized and labeled. It's easy to see in guys' jeans, but as the New York Times shows in an eye-opening graphic, women have it much, much worse.

Women know this better than men, but the tape measure knows all: clothing makers can be outright…
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The Times does suggest a ray of hope inside the maelstrom of (somewhat intentional) confusion. There's a movement afoot to create standards for sizing, and one firm, MyBestFit, is slowly rolling out a full body scanner to provide sizing guidance across all brands. In the meantime, merchandise returns will continue to be a big part of clothing retail, and charts like the Times' can only try to provide a little guidance.

Got any sizing tips, or horror stories, of your own to share? Let's hear them in the comments.